Pope Paul VI, inImmensae Caritatis,opened the door for the non-ordained to assist in the distribution of Holy Communion in very narrowly defined circumstances. These assistants were to be called “extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.” The U. S. Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy determined...
The irony is that Friends’ practices and liturgy were hardly flamboyant. They gathered silently to await what they took to be God’s words on the lips of their fellows. They viewed communion as this collective gathering, with all other liturgical forms stripped away (see Dandelion 2005 for di...